Method for producing a package and packaging machine

Abstract

A method for producing a package with an inner volume of the package containing a headspace volume and a volume taken by the product, and a packaging machine. To allow the reduction of the size of such a package, the package is formed providing a product to be packaged inside the package; providing a tray with its height being smaller than the maximum height of the product; placing the product into the tray; replacing the atmosphere surrounding the product by a gas mixture of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen; covering the tray containing the product by a formable sheet material; forming the formable sheet material and sealing tray together with the formable sheet material, so that the headspace volume containing the gas mixture makes at most half of the volume taken by the product inside the package.

1. A method for producing a package for a product, wherein the package has an inner volume containing a headspace volume and a volume taken by the product, the method comprising:
 providing a tray having a height that is smaller than a maximum height of the product; 
 placing the product into the tray; 
 introducing an anoxic gas mixture of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and nitrogen (N 2 ) into the tray, wherein the gas mixture does not include oxygen; 
 covering the tray containing the product by a formable sheet material; 
 forming the formable sheet material and sealing the tray together with the formable sheet material to form the package, so that the headspace volume containing the gas mixture makes at most half of the volume taken by the product inside the package. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a tray comprises forming sheet material to a tray. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the step of covering the tray containing the product by a formable sheet material is performed using a shrinkable sheet material. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising shrinking the shrinkable sheet material after the step of sealing the tray together with the formable sheet material. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gas mixture comprises 5% CO at most, 20-40% CO 2 , and 55-80% N 2  with respect to volume. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps of providing a tray and of covering the tray are performed using sheet material and formable sheet material acting as barrier films for gas. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gas mixture comprises 5% CO at most. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gas mixture is made up entirely of CO, CO 2  and N 2 . 
     
     
       9. A packaging machine for packaging a product in a package with an inner volume of the package containing a headspace volume and a volume taken by the product, the packaging machine comprising:
 a supply device for supplying a tray to receive the product, wherein the tray has a height that is smaller than a maximum height of the product; 
 a purging device, which is structured to introduce an anoxic gas mixture of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and nitrogen (N 2 ) into the tray, wherein the gas mixture does not include oxygen; and 
 a closing device which is structured to cover the tray containing the product by a formable sheet material, to form the formable sheet material and to seal the tray and the formable sheet material together to form the package, so that the headspace volume containing the gas mixture makes at most half of the volume taken by the product inside the package. 
 
     
     
       10. A packaging machine according to  claim 9 , wherein the supply device comprises a forming device that forms sheet material to form the tray. 
     
     
       11. A packaging machine according to  claim 9  or  10 , wherein the formable sheet material is a shrinkable sheet material. 
     
     
       12. A packaging machine according to  claim 10 , wherein the sheet material and the formable sheet material are barrier films for gas. 
     
     
       13. A packaging machine according to  claim 9 , wherein the gas mixture comprises 5% CO at most, 20-40% CO 2 , and 55-80% N 2  with respect to volume. 
     
     
       14. A packaging machine according to  claim 9 , wherein the gas mixture comprises 5% CO at most. 
     
     
       15. The packaging machine according to  claim 9 , wherein the gas mixture is made up entirely of CO, CO 2  and N 2 .